Chapter 17 :

The huge worm opened its huge sharp mouth and the sand around it was immediately sucked up. Altair resisted the pull and summoned his power.

His body began to fly at a dizzying speed towards the worm's mouth. With his sword ready to strike, he approached very quickly as the red lightning began to envelop him.

The worm suddenly stopped attracting the sand and its huge body moved at high speed to dodge Altair, which it did very well by giving its body a spiral shape.

Altair passed through the hole that the worm had left while dodging and could not avoid its counter-attack.

The worm threw back all the sand it had swallowed. But this sand when it is sucked by the worm, turns into a small grain of hot and sticky lava, this process takes place very quickly in a special pocket of its stomach. This is one of its special and very dangerous weapons.

The fine but burning rain fell on Altair with full force, he closed his eyes to concentrate on using his wind power and deflecting it as he had done before in the desert to avoid the sand whipping his body.

The tactic worked quite well but the grains were gradually beginning to burn his wind power and if Altair maintained his power, it would be dangerous for him because the fire would burn his body instead of protecting him.

While spitting the molten sand on Altair, the worm sent his huge tail whipping him. It landed directly on him and he was sent crashing into the dunes.

Altair spat out a puff of blood, the blow had damaged his organs badly.

"He's strong, I have to give it my all!"

The worm who had had time to recharge the sand in his body spat out his wave of ammunition.

Altair this time didn't summon wind but black fire on his body, although more power consuming than wind, it was far more powerful and would allow him to withstand the worm's fire.

He was right because the molten sand, at the slightest contact with the black flame was immediately annihilated. Altair walked into the storm as if he was insensible, like a salmon in the river, he went upstream and was now very close to the mouth of the worm.

"Lightning Kata, second enhanced form, black lightning"

He suddenly disappeared from the worm's field of vision and his sword, which was also covered with a black flame crackling with red lightning, struck the corner of the worm's open mouth, directly where its scales did not protect it.

Green blood spurted out and the black flame stuck to the point of impact causing immense pain to the worm as it tried to shake it off as it progressed rapidly. As the worm struggled, the black clouds characteristic of the second form of the lightning kata gathered above the worm and a red lightning bolt fell on it, distracting it enough for the black flame to regrow.

"It's time to finish this fight," Altair said breathlessly after using several power-demanding techniques.

He gathered what power he had left and a mini black tornado, born from the combination of wind and black flame, was born in the palm of his hand.

Red lightning surrounded his body and he disappeared from his position to reappear next to the still struggling worm.

"Take this, let me know how it goes!"

And he sent out the tornado, which abruptly grew to surround the worm.

Altair lost control of it and fled as the tornado exploded in on itself. The worm's scream echoed through the desert before it abruptly faded away.

A mushroom-shaped explosion occurred and for several miles the earth shook.

A crater of several diameters had formed and in the center of it, a fist-sized yellow jewel shone with a quiet light.

Altair dismounted and walked through the black flames still burning in the crater. He bent down and picked up the core that reminded him of the power orbs in the hunting dimension.

Well, I guess my test mission is over, it's time to go back to the base, I'm exhausted," he said.

His sword dematerialized and he followed the path indicated on his bracelet to get to the place where he had to give the cores and be certified as having passed the test.

On the way, he avoided the groups of students, even if they were in trouble, it was not his problem.

That's what he told himself before something happened. The butterfly that had brought him to the dragon's body reappeared, still glowing with its soft blue light.

It fluttered down and landed on Altair's nose.

"What are you doing here?!!!" he exclaimed.

The butterfly suddenly flew in a certain direction.

"I guess I have no choice..." sighed Altair as he followed it.

He ran after it and the butterfly flew for a long time before finally reaching a certain place where a female scream sounded. The butterfly fluttered and suddenly flew at high speed towards the direction of the scream.

Altair finally saw a teenage girl, who must have been his age being attacked by a pack of advanced apprentice level wolves.

The butterfly melted into the girl and Altair knew immediately that she was the apparition.

"What's so special about you?" he thought to himself.

He approached with his blood red sword and just as a wolf jumped on the girl, a draft passed and the wolf's head came off.

The wolves instantly retreated and when Altair released his martial warrior aura a spike star, they retreated.

The girl then turned around and Altair was suddenly lost in her ocean blue gaze that instantly soothed his heart and mind.

"Who are you" he asked her softly.

"Vega" she answered him with a still frightened voice.